Friday, May 23, 2014

Phase Without Number: The Mega-Damage Elephant in the Room

So, I want to run a game for my Skype Group set in Palladium's Phase World/Three Galaxies setting, but I don't want to use the Palladium system; I want to use Stars Without Number.

I've been thinking about how to do Mega-Damage in a D&D like system, and I have come to the following conclusion: Screw it.

This is how it works: Tech Levels.

Weapon and armor of the same Tech Level work normally against each other.

Weapons vs. armor of a higher TL- For every TL higher the armor is, the weapon inflicts half damage if it hits. A TL 2 weapon is going to do 1/4 damage vs. TL 4 armor.

Weapons vs. armor of a lower TL- For every TL below the weapon, the armor is treated as being one category lighter, or 2 AC worse if you're going by the book. So, TL 4 armor that grants AC 4 grants only AC 6 vs. TL 5 weapons. The worst an armor can provide is AC 9, the equivalent of unarmored, meaning that the weapon essentially blows straight through the armor.

It has been many a year since I read or played a Fuzion game. I think the only Fuzion thing I have in my possession right now is Mekton Zeta. That basically had Mega-Damage but on a 25:1 rather than a 100:1 scale.

It also didn't really have the monkey wrench that RIFTS throws in, being that vehicle scale firepower is available in infantry-sized weapons and armor.

You can download Fuzion here (http://www.serenadawn.com/Files/FUZION_Core_Rules.pdf). Converting Kills to DC & the reverse is on pp46-47. I like the simplicity & the conversion of excess to knock back.